Article originally published on Civicus Monitor, 22 May 2020 – accessible here
PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY
On 8th May 2020, several dozen people gathered in front of the Finnish parliament in Helsinki to protest the lockdown measures that are in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Police were quick to disperse the demonstration. In a series of tweets, they state that the organiser of the demonstration had not notified the authorities as stipulated by the current lockdown laws and that the participants were in breach of the temporary ban on gatherings of over 10 persons. Two people were arrested for violence against a police officer and the organiser was fined for breaking the ban on public gatherings.
Media reports suggest that the protest was led by Marko Sihvonen who was advocating that the constitutional court oversees emergency measures implemented by the Finnish government.